Trial dates set for journalist in possession of bulletproof vest, helmet in Thailand

[KamalaRider]

Number one country in shooting themselves in the foot.

Is the possession of bulletproof footwear legal?

Are you crazy, the police couldn't shoot you in the foot if it was.

[Jimbo1964]

You have got to laugh at the with what they come up with. Land of smiles no....Land of stupidity!

[FredNL]

It's news in Europe.

It's standard hardware for European journalists when covering bombings, terror (attacks), riots and/or wars. This became official after an Italian press member died in Bangkok. European journalist aren't even allowed outside in the Asian countries of Afghanistan, Pakistan, Myanmar, India, Bangladesh, Philippines , most countries in Africa, South America and complete Middle East.

So, Thailand is losing face again.

How many times has Thailand lost it's face in 2015 ? More times than I have fingers and toes to count on.

Edited November 18, 2015 by FredNL

[elgordo38]

Dear God is there not more important crimes going on than this drivel. Does Thailand really want the rest of the world to watch this ridiculous trial? Waste of time and the taxpayers money. One poster did touch on journalists being denied entry into a country because of embarrassing questions. The press are getting to be treated more and more like they are in China. Freedom and actions of the press are under attack so that they spout the party line. The new world order is universally edging up on us.

Edited November 18, 2015 by elgordo38

[tigergrl]

like all things here.. there thinking is simply black and white. only one right/wrong answer. this man is a journalist. there are exceptions to protect journalists for a reason, they put themselves into dangerous situations to cover the story. it's not surprising that THEY want to crack down on foreign media covering what happens in LOS. They are on a path into darkness going in the opposite direction of fair play, openness, and transparency. no insulting, no losing face. no bad coverage. no personal responsibility to do the right thing either.

[skildpadden]

Well, I hope that they will find him guilty and jail him for life this terrorist...What? hang on a minute.. what was his

'crimes' ? possessing a bulletproof vest and a helmet? so all the Thai men going around with concealed weapons

on them such guns, knifes and clubs in their cars and motorcycles, what they should be charged with?

Oxygen theft.

And there are more than those carrying weapons that commit this offense.

Hopefully they will follow Darwin's Law of Evolution.

[skildpadden]

This "bullet-proof vest is a weapon" is clearly wrong, pretty much any non-thai can see this.

But it seems the mentality exists in other areas too.

I have another example, not in the same league as this for seriousness, but an equal match in stupidity. My local supermarket. They keep the Soda water stocked on the same shelves as the alcohol. When my friend tried to buy a box of soda water during the alcohol prohibited times (about 3'o clock I think) he was told at the cash register that he couldn't buy it because of the time. He protested that it wasn't alcohol, but was told it was stocked on the alcohol shelf so he couldn't buy it.

My friend bought some soda water from 7-11 instead, lets hope this poor victim of stupidity gets a simple and fair solution soon.

Same thing happened to me - I asked the Big C manager to show me the alcohol content on the bottle. Only then I was allowed to buy it, ridiculous (but the prohibition time law is in general ridiculous).

[swerver]

For a starter. Many media outlets require journalists to wear such gear while on assignment in areas prone to violence.

So Thailand has a law, the country’s Arms Control Act of 1987. BIG DEAL.

This one particular photojournalist violated this law, another BIG DEAL.

Why was he picked on by whomever picked on him squalling that he did not have the required permit? Is he the ONLY in the bunch of ALL the media people (Local and Foreign) moving in and out and around Thailand that have the permit??? I bet you they ALL DO NOT. So why pick in him? Someone trying to make a name for him-. /her-self as being a good Thai citizen. What next?

This guy must have said something or allegedly have some compromising photos of some Thai officials and they are not going to let go until they punish him to show the world they – Thailand – are the law.

There are well in excess of 10,000 laws on the books in Thailand many created by the frequent coup members. As the saying goes, "If you want to hit a dog you can always find a stick".

Fine the man and let's move on. He clearly was not an attacker or somebody out to hurt or kill. What good can this possibly prove for Thailand? As Forrest Gump says, “"Stupid is as stupid does"

​

[watso63]

Well I'm fallubleasted at this???

[EnglishJohn]

Thailand should realise that letting an ex-police mate of Thaksins go scott free for taking a loaded gun on an aircraft but then making a huge issue about a journalist with a passive bulletproof vest makes the country look like some retarded, corrupt third world Asian country.

If they want to improve their image abroad, they need to stop the ridiculous double standards like this. Those tomato police need reigning in and sorting out.

[SOTIRIOS]

...but smuggling an unregistered firearm on and off an airplane is okay....

[johnklinrak]

A bullet proof vest and helmet are "Defensive" not "Offensive".

[Jackin1960]

The question I would like answered is this "why is one not aloud to wear a bullet proof jacket" Is it against a dress code or is it simply not sporting? Anyone have the answer?

[Srikcir]

Thais expect that this guy will not come back. Thus they'll not have to jail him (which would be infamous) + the guy will remain the bad guy escaping "justice".

Worst case scenario is he could be tried in absentia, ruled guilty, request extradiction, and/or request an Interpol Arrest warrant. No more extreme than charging him in the first place.

[swissie]

Junta thinking: Some day, it may become necessary to shoot into masses of protesters to keep Thailand on the "Path to Happiness".

If half of the protesters would be wearing bullet-proof gear, it would mean that the bullets fired into the masses would only be half as "effective". We can't have this, can we?

Cheers.

[spidermike007]

All any law professor would need, when arguing that the Thai legal system is completely broken, would be the details of this case. A bulletproof vest, worn by a journalist covering a terror scene, is considered to be in possession of a weapon, due to having a bulletproof vest and a helmet, and is arrested for such.

Does anyone have a reasonable explanation for any of this? Does anyone in government know why it is illegal to protect ones self? Does this somehow harm the public in any way?

Will the Thai judicial system ever get fixed to the point where it serves a purpose, and benefits society?

[Jackin1960]

Junta thinking: Some day, it may become necessary to shoot into masses of protesters to keep Thailand on the "Path to Happiness".

If half of the protesters would be wearing bullet-proof gear, it would mean that the bullets fired into the masses would only be half as "effective". We can't have this, can we?

Cheers.

Oh I see just not sporting. Bit twisted me thinks.

[nithisa78]

None of us know all the facts. The law is the law and there's a reason unbeknownst to the posters here, none of which rule any country (thank God,) why this is moving forward.

This journalist is going to have a much better life as a result of this. Thai bashers want corruption to be an issue, need look no further than the reporting media.

[Nobb]

Why was there no action taken against the retired police chief when he flew to Japan with a gun and ammo meaning bullets? He tried to bring this deadly weapon and bullets but the more up to date Japan unit that checks bags caught him. He said he brought this weapon from Thailand but still no charges against him. What is more dangerous a vest and helmet or a loaded gun. Thailand has laws but only apply them to you if you are not connected! New government but nothing changes!!!

[paddyjoe41]

In my opinion the thai government are fuming about this because of the ham handed way it was handled at the start,Anyone with an ounce of sense at the time would have said it is not allowed so on your way dont do it again.NOW it has gone too far to abort because it would mean loosing face,so again out of pure stupiditty they will carry on and try to fumble a way out,without appearing to loose face.The whole world already knows they have lost face,but this is lawless Thailand.A thai would have paid maybe 100 bk and gone.

[Hawk]

A bullet proof vest and helmet are "Defensive" not "Offensive".

Yes, a defensive weapon.

[flyDelight]

A long way to go if they still believe in ghosts, fortune tellers and lucky numbers.

Enjoy the many good things of Thailand and ignore the weird sides that one can't understand.

And the good things are...?

Hopefully this does not say anything about your mental/social condition and if it does it's time to leave. Don't hurt yourself by living in Thailand too long.

[Thai at Heart]

The only reason the license is so important is because some guy makes a boat load gouging people who want to buy them

[misterphil]

The Countries getting dafter.

I have bullet proof vest and helmet at work. Let me try and use them as weapons just now.

Nope cant do anything with them as a weapon. The only bodily harm I could do is if I dropped the vest on someones head from a height as it weighs about 25kg.

[gigman]

I can understand those who started this incident...because their nature are worst then machines...they are doind what have been told and can not be broken.

But those who prepared the case are just cold brainless one's. ...

I do not know only one thing....

What kind of creature's will be judges???

I must disregard those who designed this kind of rule of " law" because they must be heavy users of some kind of illegal drugs doing it.

when I asked for opinion about this case 12 year old kids ...they asked me " dad. ..why do you like this country of Thailand so much , talking so nice and going so often over there if you could go to jail just to be a foreigner in wrong time and place where local people can harm you and will not properly punished because of this kind of twisted law in Thailand.???

I was astonished of normal thinking of so young people...

I just could not answer this.

From now I must admit that I must seriously ask myself if I should open my stupid mouth any more trying to defend Thai system and those who keep going in this law and system.

I think they are just comedians in bad theater.

[whitemouse]

Such a ridiculous charge. This country has a lot to learn about civility.

A long way to go if they still believe in ghosts, fortune tellers and lucky numbers.

Enjoy the many good things of Thailand and ignore the weird sides that one can't understand.

And the good things are...?

Weather, 4-5 months out of the year. That's it.

[flyDelight]

Enjoy the many good things of Thailand and ignore the weird sides that one can't understand.

And the good things are...?

Weather, 4-5 months out of the year. That's it.

Cynicism can cause cancer. Sounds like overstayed your joyful time in Thailand.

[Najinsky]

I'm wondering if this story has the potential to be really really big, probably not in Thailand where only personal face and power matter, but possibly with much larger implications for other countries.

If a constitutional government passes a law, there needs to be a valid reason for it. In the case of body armour the reason seems to be so that criminals don't have access to it (like they don't have access to guns?).

But making body armour illegal mean citizens cannot protect themselves from gun or knife crimes. The implication of this is it must therefore be the states responsibility to protect it's citizens. So it would seem reasonable that any citizen who falls victim to gun or knife crimes (or their relatives if the victim dies) could sue the state for failure in it's duty of protection?

There is probably some counter-law or principle to protect governments from this, but in the wake of the Paris attacks perhaps a test-case may receive a more sympathetic hearing.

[realenglish1]

My guess is he will be given a jail sentence that will be suspended He will not spend a day in Jail

[Maggusoil]

It would behoove Thailand as a whole to drop these charges as quickly as possible. It's a bad idea to draw attention to the Thai justice system that is so blatantly flawed and. Targets foreign visitors on a regular basis. Common sense here please.

Far from it. It is a good idea to draw attention to the ridiculous legal system as often as possible and those that do,

keep on failing or is it succeeding in this area.

They have obviously never played poker or even heard of it.